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WOW....

Great sighting & pic Joh.

I'm speechless!

What a pic Johan!!

wow !!! for the sighting and the picture

Absolutely amazing JvR

Wow Johan !! Great pic and sighting!! Makes me
Still need to see it

WoW, Johan

Absolutely incredible

I was up at Pafuri in November/December, and saw at least 10 Pel's (I actually lost count) and could have seen more if I had wanted to. Most sightings were from Luvuvhu bridge (including two individuals on one occasion), a few not far upstream from there at Maluteni and Pumphouse Bend. I also heard a Pel's calling at Crooks' Corner one evening. There was also at least one sighting from the deck at Pafuri Camp.

Johan

Been in the Punda Maria area for most of December, and as everybody are always about the Pels, I've never even considered that I would also see one.... and then on our way to work at Pafuri Picnic spot, suddenly we heard a sound, looked up and there it was flying very low over our car, makind that shhhhh sound in doing so. What a sight, what an experience

Johan, also heard from Frank that there are currently about 10 breeding pairs that he know off in the area. For 3 weeks we have been directing visitors to where we saw it, I really hope some of them found it as well.

Great news on the numbers of Pels!
Nice sighting Petra and Johan for yours too!

you would say Pel's Fishing... become common

Well, you could say they are fairly common in a few specific and restricted localities. The thing at Pafuri is that they are ridiculously easy to see, if conditions are right. That's a big if, though, as the water level in the river has to be right. When it is, you just have to check their favorite perches overhanging the river, one of which is right at the bridge. There is of course also a chance of seeing them on the river bank or in another tree, they don't always follow the rules.

Johan

(edited to correct typo)

Have to agree that the news on the 'at least 10 breeding pairs' is fantastic. Hope they can remain undisturbed for a few seasons so the population can keep growing.

Have never seen one in my 7 trips to KNP so as yet a Pel's fishing owl sighting remains on my bucket list.

Shout out to Frank for his excellent work as well.

@johanrebel, it's easy to mistake a Laughing dove for a Pel...

Well, those drops of rain they had up in the north back in January certainly sent the Pel's scurrying. I suspect they are now mostly hanging around the various pans (there seems to be one on every corner. Pan, that is, not Pel's), not the fast flowing and turbid rivers. Having said that, the only Pel's I saw during then days in the Makuleke CNP last month was along the Luvuvhu, during an afternoon walk just downstream of The Outpost (i.e. about a kilometer downstream of the Mutale confluence).

Johan